Shattered Nightfall
by Schlangenkind
Summary: What better way to forget your vampire boyfriend and the supernatural all together than to visit another country and live in a small, italian city where a certain coven is known to reside? What better way to start living again than to hang out with the dead? Irony is a bitch and Isabella Swan is about to get fucked. Literally.
1. When you're gone

Two things you should know before you start reading: 1. English isn't my native language. I try my best but I'm not perfect. Anyone willing to beta my chapters? 2. I'm warning you now I'm not the most regular writer. Updates can take long sometimes. But as long as I don't delete the story I haven't given up on it. My life just catches up with me every now and then.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight.

**Warnings:** OOC

**Timeline:** During the "lost months" of New Moon

**Pairing:** Alec and Isabella

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**Chapter 1 When you're gone**

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_And the days feel like years when I'm alone_

_And the bed where you lie is made up on your side_

_When you walk away I count the steps that you take_

_Do you see how much I need you right now?_

_Avril Lavigne: When you're gone_

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**9. October**

It was raining. Of course it was. Forks wasn't exactly known for its sunny summers. So why did it surprise Isabella to hear the undisturbed rhythm of the raindrops softly pattering against the roof of her truck? Did she really expect this one day to be any different from the others? Did she want some otherworldly sign? A message from the gods acknowledging her defeat? And even if they had done it would it have changed anything? Would a brief encounter with the long since hidden sun be enough to make her reconsider her decisions? Would it matter?

Isabella knew the answers for all these questions. There was no going back. She had already gone too far. Now she couldn't do anything else but swim with the flow and hope that she wouldn't drown in the seas of life. Hope that nobody would drown her to be more specific. There were enough people after her head after all. And it wasn't like she had friends that could or hell even just wanted to protect her. Nope. No one cared about her. Not anymore.

Because after _he_ left nothing was ever the same again. Shaking her head Isabella tried her hardest to push these memories aside. Now was not the time to deal with her unpleasant past. In fact it was probably for the best if she never again wasted a thought about all the things she had learned during her short stay in a small town with a ridiculous name. A stay that was cut even shorter than she had expected - shorter than _they all_ had expected. But there were lots of things she hadn't foreseen and yet they still happened.

With a deep sigh Isabella slowly sank into her more or less comfortable seat. Just 17 hours and 15 minutes until she would arrive at Florenz, Italy. She still wasn't sure if she was happy or angry that her very own father had basically thrown her out. Charlie insisted that she couldn't stay in Forks when she hadn't gotten better within the first three weeks of _their_ departure. It wasn't that Isabella hadn't tried but the fact that she was a horrible liar came back to bite her in the ass. She had been unable to convince Charlie of her non-existing recovery. So he sent her away. Luckily Charlie knew Renée quite well because while Isabella never doubted her mothers love for her Renée would be completely unable to cope with a half dead daugther. Isabella had always taken care of herself and practically raised her own mother, it was just how they were. Having to constantly watch her would soon enough bore Renée and then Isabella would fade back into the background again. While the girl herself didn't really care Charlie had been worried that she wouldn't survive Renée's flighty behaviour this time around. Considering that Isabella forgot even such simple things like eating he was probably right. That was why he decided to send her across the ocean to europe. Italy, to be exact.

Italy was warm and sunny. It was something new with no lingering memories to remind Isabella of what had once been. Italy was the last place where _they_ would be. Italy was everything Isabella didn't want. But it was also everything she needed and deep inside her she knew it. That was the reason why she didn't try to fight her parents decision. That and the fact that fighting was just so exhausting. And Isabella was tired. So very tired.

The flight assistant offered her a drink and it was then that Isabella realised that the plane took already off. It seemed she had spaced out again. Nothing new there. It wasn't like there was anyone to keep her chaotic thoughts grounded. Not anymore. And never again. She wordlessly accepted a too warm water and watched her hand closing around the fragile plastic cup. Her fingers were thin, very thin. And cold. Always cold. Now that _they_ left there wasn't a day where she didn't feel cold. As though _their_ absence chilled her to the bones. Ironic, wasn't it? How it was _their_ loss that made her freeze instead of _their_ presence? She really was a strange human. Or maybe she had finally lost it.

_It was about time_.

The hours passed slowly. Isabella tried to imagine her new life. In Italy. It was hard. She didn't even know the woman she would live with. It seemed Alessia Pierini was the cousin of Charlies long dead aunt. Or something like this. Still, Isabella was sure that something had happened between Alessia and her father because until five days ago not even Renée had known of this distant relative. It made her wonder how welcomed she truly was. Maybe this woman just fulfilled some kind of family duty? Oh well, she would see. Charlie obviously trusted her with his shattered daughter. And he believed the warm temperature would be healthier for her. Hopefully he was right because it was clear that her body needed get better somehow. Isabella normally avoided any gaze into a mirror but she knew that her unnatural paleness rivaled a vampire and disturbed the people around her. She had also lost too much weight. All in all Isabella's looks were a far cry from pretty or even just human. Hell, she could have passed as a living dead without even trying! Again the irony of the whole situation awoke a restless, boiling bitterness somewhere inside of her stomach.

The far too stressed looking businessman next to her started snoring. Maybe Alessia would take one look at her and sent her back home? She could always hope. But did she want that? To go back to Forks? _Yes_ a part of her cried desperately. It was the same part that had been fascinated by _them_ instead of being fearful. Isabella wanted to ignore it but she hadn't done a very good job at doing so before. Her relationships with _them_ proved her lacking sense of self-preservation. Why should it now be any different?

She counted the steps the flight attendant took to disappear out of her range of vision. It was a young woman, maybe twenty-two years old. She wore her hair in a strict pigtail that swung from one side to the other with each step she took. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left.

They reached Philadelphia. Isabella exploited the one hour and a half of her first layover and bought some coffee. And than a bit more. She hated black coffee but couldn't find the motivation to move her hand and reach for the sugar. Isabella didn't feel any thirst but she needed to stay awake. The nightmares that haunted her every night were bad enough on her good days. There was no way she could allow herself to sleep on a plane. They would probably kick her out in midair just to get rid of the crazy screaming girl. Or - even worse - people would pity her. In that case she would most likely jump out on her own. Without a parachute of course. Where would be the point in this if she had some chance to survive it?

By the time she was asked to board the plane Isabella already downed her fifth cup of coffee and could slowly feel the effect of the caffeine. Hopefully it would be enough. She nearly snorted. Isabella never believed in luck and now she didn't believe in miracles either. _His_ love had been the only miracle she ever believed. The lie had been beautiful while it lasted.

Isabella sat down next to a young woman with two kids. The older boy was around three years old and babbled on and on without any sign of exhaustion. The other kid was still a baby, maybe a few months old. Once the mother managed to get her older son to calm down the toddler woke up and started screaming. Some passengers were shooting the small family annoyed looks but Isabella actually welcomed the noise the children made. They were keeping her awake and that was all that mattered. Her steadily worsening headache could be ignored for the time being.

Their next stop was in Germany and by the time they reached Frankfurt Isabella was well and truly dead on her feet. Spending her waiting time lying on an uncomfortable metal bench and nearly unconscious she was lucky that an elderly man woke her up and lead her to the right gate. Isabella couldn't even imagine how horrible she actually looked but the pitying glances from the other passengers spoke their own story. She wondered what they thought of her. That she lost her parents? Airsickness? A bad break-up?

Isabella winced. Her thoughts were getting much too close to reality for her comfort. The searing pain in her chest cut through her dream-like state like a knife through molten butter. It felt like leaving a crowded, sticky bar and stepping into the cold air of the nearing winter. Refreshing. Kind of good. But also painful. Very, very painful.

This flight was her last one and it was also the shortest. Just a about two hours later the pilot announced their upcoming landing. Isabella fought to keep the relieved sigh from slipping from her lips and dared to close her eyes for a few seconds. Mere minutes later the flight attendant asked them to leave the plane. It was incredible hard to keep her eyes open as Isabella stumbled through a crowd of people, luggage in one hand and an already empty cup of coffee in the other. Her eyes were twitching. They even felt kind of strange. Dry somehow. Thank god that Starbucks was an international company or she would have never even made it to the checkout.

Suddenly Isabella froze. For one short moment she had heard it. A beautiful laugh. Like wind chimes. Soft and utterly ethereal. She turned around, searching frantically for a sign that her imagination wasn't playing tricks on her. And there she was. A young, blond girl with pale skin and an absolutely gorgeous smile. Isabella stared. She couldn't help herself. A hand touched the girls arm carefully but she paid her companion no mind, still captured by the inhuman beauty of the kid. Then someone ran into her and knocked the empty cup out of Isabella's hand. The impact didn't hurt but it was enough to snap her out of her daze. Isabella stared at the fallen cup. She couldn't bring herself to pick it up. It took all her strength not to look at the strange girl again. A few minutes and some deep, calming breaths later the feeling slowly returned into her limbs again and Isabella was able to follow the flow of people. Leaving the beautiful girl and the plastic cup behind.

In spite of never having seen Alessia Pierini before it wasn't all that hard to find her aunt. Isabella allowed herself a couple of seconds to look the middle-aged woman over. She had the same brown eyes as Charlie and very dark hair but that was were the resemblance ended. Alessia was quite tall and curvy and though Isabella was sure that she was at the very least forty she somehow looked younger. A lot younger. Some might ask as to how Isabella even knew that this good-looking woman was her somewhat aunt but the big sign in her hands reading MARIE SWAN in bright red letters was a big cue.

Marie Swan. Right. She had forgotten about that one. Charlie thought she would need a new start. It seemed like the new „family", the new city and the new fucking country weren't a new enough start, no. She just had to change her name or at least go by her second name. It was absolutely necessary and would help her a great deal to cope with the huge hole inside her chest. Did anyone notice the sarcasm?

Once Isabella had gotten over her instinctive desire to grab her bag and run back home she approached Alessia with forced calm. Her thoughts were incoherently and scattered. Maybe _their_ presence had messed more with her head than she had thought in the beginning? But anyway, what the hell was she doing here? In this strange country? Her italian was barely acceptable and she didn't fucking know this so-called aunt of hers! Now, after reaching her final destination it was probably a bit late for some useless panic attack but she was doing quite well so far.

Ms Alessia Pierini's enthusiasm at meeting her was too unreal in Isabella's opinion but it wasn't like her sentiments had ever mattered before, hadn't they? Alessia visibly vibrated with some strange energy that reminded the girl uncomfortably of Al-_her_. Thankfully the woman seemed to have enough common sense not to hug her. Or maybe Charlie had told his what-ever-she-was of her aversion for any kind of touch. Still as soon as Isabella reached the brunette a wide smile stretched across her lips and her eyes started gleaming. This reaction was a bit confusing and a lot intimidating. Never before had Isabella actually been wanted. Renée had accepted her and for Charlie she was more of a duty than anything else. Sure her parents loved her in their own way and there were many children out there who had it a lot worse but Isabella had always had the feeling that her relationship to her folks was a bit off. Empty somehow. Maybe it was because of this that she had latched herself so much onto Carlisle and Esme? Isabella winced as _their_ names automatically popped up in her head and hastily forced these unwelcomed memories aside.

Her aunt (that's what she was told to call Alessia since their true relation was just too complicated) was happily chattering while constantly mixing italian and english words. It sounded foreign but funny at the same time. Isabella allowed the woman to lead her through the crowd of people at the airport.

Alessia owned a nice car. He was a bit rusty but Isabella liked it. It kind of reminded her of her old truck whom she had left back in Forks. Like everything else that once meant something to hear. _A clean break_. That was what Charlie wanted for her. Just like _he_ did. The air was warm and the radio played some song she didn't know. Carefully Isabella leaned her head against the cooling glass of the window. She tuned Alessia and the music out and unable to fight her body's needs any longer she allowed her eyes to flutter shut. There was no way she could keep them open even just a second longer. Still, for a few moments her mind struggled. Knowing it wasn't able to prevent the unavoidable and yet not able to help itself. But Isabella was exhausted and all too soon her spirit slipped away into unconsciousness. Or maybe she just fell. With nobody there to catch her.

_You're not good for me._

Isabella woke up screaming a few hours later. She blinked, trying to remember where she was. Nothing seemed familiar. It was dark but quite obviously not Forks. Then it dawned on her. Charlie sent her to Italy. With her aunt Alessia. While she couldn't recall having left the car or entering this room she had been so out of it that her memory loss didn't surprise her in the least.

Still it wasn't exactly nice to wake up in an unknown place but there was nothing she could do about that. Isabella sighed and stared blankly into the darkness. Tomorrow, she finally decided. Tomorrow she would explore her new home. She would try to be friendly with her aunt. Maybe if she convinced Charlie of her progress she would be allowed to return to Forks again. Isabella was completely disillusioned. There was no such thing as „getting better" for her. Her heart was shattered beyond any repair. But she could attempt to hide the damage _he_ inflicted on her. Sure, she had always been bad at lying but it might actually be time to improve her skills in this particular area. After all she was a teenager. Wasn't lying what she was supposed to do anyway? The decision was made. With the upcoming sunrise Isabella would cease to exist and in her ashes Marie would be born. Marie would build herself a life her in Italy. Marie would learn to live with the pain of being abandoned. Marie would be strong.

Marie would be a fake. A mask.

But Isabella would train herself until nobody would be able to tell the difference anymore. Because she needed to return to Forks. This stupid, fucked up city was the only connection to _them_ that _he_ had left her. It was this one thought that kept her sane. Isabella smiled bitterly, relieved to finally have some sort of plan. Although her decision didn't change anything. Not for now. Because today she was still Isabella. She was weak. This night was her last true night. She wanted to cry but there were no tears left to lose. She wanted to forget but no time in the world would ever erase her memory.

She could shut the reality out. She could forbid herself to feel anything at all. She could force herself not to think. But at the and of the day her eyes always became heavy again. It didn't matter how hard she fought, this was a battle she could never win. _Sleep_. Such a basic human need. _He_ once envied her for it. Again the irony left a sour taste on her tongue. There was no running from her very own nature. No fleeing from the nightmares. So Isabella allowed herself to give in to the ever-present darkness inside of her mind. Time and time again she succumbed to the desperate hopelessness that clawed at her heart. Where she lost all her will, all her strength and all her dreams. Not that they weren't all broken anyway.

There really was no point in struggling. _He _was gone. There was nothing left to fight for.

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Like it? Hate it? Love it? Any complains? Suggestions?

**R&R please!**

Love Schlangenkind


	2. Boulevard of broken dreams

**A big thank you to Dimladris for beta-ing this chapter!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight.

**Warnings for this chapter:** OOC, attempted rape, murder

**Timeline:** During the "lost months" of New Moon

**Pairing:** Alec and Isabella

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**Chapter 2 Boulevard of broken dreams**

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_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_

_My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_

_Sometimes I wish someone up there will find me_

_'til then I walk alone_

_Green Day: Boulevard of broken dreams_

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**22. October**

Marie did better, she really did. And while she wasn't exactly a social person, she got along quite well with her aunt Alessia or Lessa as she liked to be called. Sure their talks usually consisted of Lessa idly chatting about her day while Marie nods at all the right places. But if she had a good day, she could sometimes even manage a grimace, that if seen in the right lighting, and with a healthy dose of imagination could be interpreted as a smile. Luckily Lessa had a wild imagination and a bubbly personality. She covered the conversations for the both of them with practiced ease and a cheerful air.

Lessa never said anything, but Marie had a feeling that the startlingly sensitive woman was more than a little suspicious of her act. She had gotten better at pretending to be okay, but if her aunt started asking too many questions her façade would crumble to dust like small stones in the hand of a v-one of _them_. Afraid of being found out, Marie quickly agreed when Lessa suggested she get a constantly worries about the decay of Marie's already nonexistent social skills, because as she puts it Marie spends too much time around "a bunch of silly, old, complaining bitches." She didn't go to school since she couldn't really speak Italian. At least nothing more than "_One coffee please_." and "_Thanks, Have a nice day_." Luckily Charlie had convinced her teachers in Forks to accept her assignments per mail. Supposedly her case of hypothermia after being left in the woods on her own had been a lot worse than first expected. So, to fully recover she was sent to a warmer climate. Since Charlie was known to be an honest man nobody doubted his words. Marie for one, knew perfectly well that the Swans could lie if it concerned people they cared about. She had proven that theory herself during the whole mess with Jam- Anyway.

Her education certainly didn't suffer from her time away, and it gave her hope that soon Charlie would come back to his senses (or get sick of eating only fast food) and order her back home. She could always dream, right? Wrong, her nights were filled with nothing but terror. Because once the blanket of night fell, her facade crumbles, leaving only the damaged young woman in it's place. But as soon as the sun rises, her mask slips back into place and Marie busies herself with studying. Her grades were already improving drastically. After all she would take a mathematical calculation over brooding about her lost love life any day of the week.

Unfortunately constantly staying in her small but cozy room meant that Lessa felt obligated to get her out of the house as often as possible. That was the reason why she now played waitress in a nice café/bar called 'Dannazione Eterna'. Eternal Damnation, quite ironic if you think about it. Then again her life was full of irony. Especially since... you know... her leaving Forks.

It wasn't like she really minded her job. In fact it was nice to have something to do. And her Italian was already improving even if she still mixed a lot of words up or didn't pronounce them right. Thankfully most of her customers found it endearing. Still it fucking freaked Marie out when some guys laughed about her attempts, and made comments she didn't understand, but was sure were directed at her. What she enjoyed most about her time at DE was the simple fact that no one there knew anything about her past. Those people didn't expect her to be sad, and they didn't look at her as if she was going to shatter at any second. It was something she hadn't realised she had missed until she left Forks. Even Lessa treated her different though she clearly tried not to. In front of all these strangers it was easier for Marie to pretend. And maybe if she got better at pretending, it would mean that she was one step closer to actually getting better. At least that's what she liked to delude herself into believing.

At first she had worked in the late afternoon, and sometimes in the morning but this week Chiara, one of the other waitress, had gotten ill and Marie had agreed to take her shift. Which was why she is currently stumbling through the dark, deserted streets at three o'clock in the morning. Yesterday the idea of escaping one of aunt Lessa's we-have-to-get-to-know-each-other-better-activitie s and getting paid for it seemed like a great idea. Now though Marie wasn't so sure. Sure, it was a Saturday morning but that also meant that there were still some people around at this ungodly hour. The kind of people no good looking girl wanted to meet in a crowd in broad daylight, never mind on an abandoned backstreet.

Okay, now she was just being ridiculous. Not _everybody_ was out to get her. Hopefully.

Marie sighed, maybe it was stupid but she was a girl and she was alone. So she was allowed to go just a little bit insane, right? Marie was still berating herself when she noticed the group of obviously drunk men at the end of the road. She froze, it was an automatic reaction, an instinct she couldn't suppress. Looking back it might have been a damn good idea to for once listen to her intuition who was screaming at her to turn around and run. Maybe taking the shortcut away from the main streets also hadn't been her brightest idea. But it was too late to change her past decisions and Marie didn't plan to flee. She survived a fucking tracker. These wasted men were nothing to her.

With that thought Marie gathered her courage and determinately continued on her way. Yeah, probably not her greatest idea ever. But it would have to do. And really, Marie managed the situation just fine. Until one of the men spotted her. By the time the guy actually decided to act Marie had already passed the group which meant that she had her back turned to them. That - according to Marie - was the reason why it took her completely by surprise (when she really should have expected it) when she was abruptly grabbed roughly and showed against the cold wall of some closed store. Her head banged against the hard stone leaving her dizzy and disoriented for a moment or two. Once her brain had caught up with what was happening it was already too late. Sweaty hands held her wrists in an iron grip and her legs felt like they were paralyzed. Maybe it was the shock, a small part of her mind mused absently while the rest concentrated hard on not throwing up as the man's alcohol ridden breath ghosted over her face. Marie tried to turn her head, to breathe some fresh air or really just to escape this fucking smell. There were other people around her, she noted. They yelled and laughed, but she wasn't naïve enough to believe that this noise would save her. She was on her own. As she had been ever since _they_ left.

It was probably a bad decision to think about _them_ in a situation like this. Yet, Marie couldn't help herself. Back then _he _had been her hero. But now when she needed _him_ _he_ wasn't there. Her chest burned and for some reason the only thing Marie could think about was '_Fuck I so have to get over that asshole!'_. Not that it mattered anymore. She was about to get raped or even killed. Marie doubted that this was what Charlie had in mind, when he told her that leaving would be the best way to recover from her break-up. Nope. Definitely not. And she was so sick of playing the victim.

So Marie being Marie did the only thing she could think of, she spat into her molesters face. Okay, it wasn't brilliant but it was a start. Being as drunken as the idiot was, he seemed confused by her actions and backed away as though he couldn't understand what just happened. Then again maybe he really didn't. Touching her against her will didn't exactly convince Marie of his intelligence much less of his great personality. Even his dumb friends were stunned into silence. Marie didn't wait for them to recover from their shock. She just ran. Most likely the best decision she made all night. Or was it morning already? Not the point, a small voice in the back of her head reminded her.

Although her most recent actions proved differently Marie usually was a very clever girl. She just had her moments, and they always seem to happen at the worst possible time. By assessing the situation Marie knew her chances to escape successfully were practically nonexistent. She wasn't athletic or fast by any means, and her clumsiness wasn't helpful either. Looking back over her shoulder she felt herself sink further into panic. These guys reacted faster than she had anticipated. Obviously her getaway made her even more desired. This whole running away thing reminded her strangely of her confrontation with the tracker. The difference was that this time she actually had a chance at fighting them. A slim chance but dammit, it was there and she would fucking survive this shit!

For the first time since _their _disappearance Marie consciously decided to live, that she wanted to live. She then promptly ran full tilt into a brick wall. At least that's what it felt like. She staggered back and would have fallen flat on her ass had it not been for the strong arms that caught and held her securely. Suppressing the urge to scream Marie tiredly closed her eyes. Her brain didn't take very kindly to this second collision and her surroundings were starting to blur. Blinking she tried to clear the fog in her mind. The obvious weakness of her human body was bloody frustrating! Especially now that she knew there was something better out there. Something stronger and deadlier.

Marie shook her head. Now was not the time to ponder on her crazy past, because the present was much more worrying. Opening her eyes she expected to see the creepy face of idiot number one and his stupid friends. Well she didn't, instead she came face to face with one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. And considering that she had met quite a few supernatural creatures in her life, that was saying something. As soon as the thought crossed her mind Marie realized that this stranger wasn't handsome. He was beautiful. And she was as good as dead.

It was common knowledge that '_eyes are the window to the soul_'. Well in Marie's opinion this generally was some freaky, spiritual bullshit but at this very second she couldn't have agreed more with the useless quote. Because she was looking into the eyes of a killer. No, there weren't any shadows hidden inside them and she didn't feel some kind of dark aura either. But the blood red color around his pupils was one huge cue, let me tell you.

If Marie had ever thought about how she might react to encountering another vampire she would have probably thought that the giant hole in her chest would open up again with a new found intensity and that she would have forgotten to breathe long before the bloodsuckers would actually kill her. As it was Marie didn't feel any pain. She just wanted to cry.

But somehow looking into the strangely familiar eyes was comforting. Calming even. Yep, now she had officially lost it. It had always simply been a question of time. Still seeing the eyes of her killer meant that she hadn't imagined the special nature of them. It was the confirmation of her for now still existing sanity. Relief flooded through her veins and made Marie feel strangely light. Almost free. In the stony hands of a human eating vampire. Irony really was a bitch.

Suddenly remembering that up until not so long ago a cold one had been the least of her problems Marie tried to turn around to find out what had happened to her chasers. Tried being the keyword. Because the leech holding her certainly wasn't budging. She sighed. Why did vampires always had to be so difficult? Oh well. She hadn't cared when _he_ first warned her to stay away from _him_ so why should she listen to the silent warning of this stranger to be good and stay put? Exactly. Twisting her neck in an expert manner Marie managed to gaze over her shoulder and quite frankly wished she had obeyed her captor. But it was too late now. Which seemed to be the slogan of her life. 'Don't do i- Oh, never mind' or something like that.

Mr. Creepy was dead, no doubts there. At least she guessed that this... thing had once been Mr. Creepy. His head was completely shattered and there was blood everywhere. Marie decided not to look more closely and instead gazed into the direction of the other bodies. Because from the way the neck was turned on one guys shoulders and the paleness of another ones skin there was no way they were still alive. There was just one man still standing and upon closer inspection Marie realized that this was the companion of her captor.

Strangely enough the sight of these violently killed people didn't freak her out as much as it probably should have. It felt like her brain was unable to connect the fact that these men that were slaughtered in an absolutely gruesome way were just that: innocent humans. But as much as her conscience tried Marie couldn't feel sorry for them. That they tried to rape her was most likely a huge factor as to why she stayed so calm. Or maybe she was still under some kind of shock. Or even more likely her adventures with James had made her a lot more resistant to the sight of blood. Surveying the scene once again Marie realized that there was a lot of blood for a vampire attack. And the eyes of the vampire closest to her were crimson not black. Maybe they had just fed? Maybe she wouldn't end up as some kind of freaky dessert? One could always hope after all.

Deciding that she had witnessed enough violence for the night Marie turned back to face her captor. Now that she was assured that she was the only living person in this lonely street (well, there were two vampires but you know what I mean) she took her time to take in the appearance of her what-ever-he-was. He was tall that much was sure. While Marie had never been the smallest girl of her age this stranger seemed to tower over her. He had long black hair that reached his shoulders and olive colored skin with the typical chalky pallor every vampire seemed to possess. It certainly is an interesting and strange mixture. Somehow his complexion made him look more unnatural but it didn't diminish his obvious beauty.

Once Marie had finished examining him she realized that his ruby eyes looked down at her in amusement. Normally she would have blushed at being caught while staring. But this guy saved her from a shitty fate and would most likely murder her in a few minutes anyway so she didn't feel the need to be shy. Everything was already over anyway. The silence stretched as their eyes stayed locked into each other, neither one of them willing to back down. It wasn't like she had anything left to lose. She might as well be the first human girl to stare down a vampire.

She was being silly again.

"What's your name?" Marie decided to break the silence as it became clear that none of the super boys were going to talk first. _Idiots_. The venom might work miracles but in the end they were still... well... men. Or hopeless cases, whichever came first.

Her captor raised an eyebrow as though her question had taken him by surprise. Maybe it did. Maybe they expected her to freak out over the fact that one of them just single handedly killed four people without batting an eye. _Like any normal, sane girl would_. But Marie had never been tested so there was no actual proof that she wasn't insane. Much less normal. After all no normal human would have hung out with a coven of bloodsuckers. Oh well. No risks no reward.

"Demetri" the vampire kidnapper replied slowly, seemingly unsure how to handle the situation. _Yay me!_

"Well, it's nice to meet you Demetri. Does your friend over there have a name too?"

Maybe she was being stupid. Scratch that. She definitely was being stupid. And she enjoyed it. Actually she hadn't felt this good in months. Strange.

"I'm Felix."

This one was a lot bulkier than Demetri. He kind of reminded her of Em- Bad thought.

"Okay. I'm Marie by the way. It's nice to meet you." More out of habit than anything else she held out her hand to the huge guy and then immediately dropped it when she remembered that he shattered a human skull with bare hands and she so didn't want to touch him. Nor did she want Demetris hands on her that were still lingering on her waist. Impatiently she started wiggling in his grip.

"Would you mind terribly just letting me go?" She finally snapped, tired of fighting a lost battle.

"Right" Demetri muttered but held her for a second or two before dropping his hands entirely.

For the time being Marie decided to let his strange behavior slide (not that she had much of a choice, mind you) and instead turned her attention back to Felix. His eyes were a few shades darker than those of his companion but they still held the same startling red she had expected.

"Thank you" She said softly. "For helping me." _For brutally killing four guys that were probably too drunk to __realize__ what they were doing and have some family out there waiting for them to return home_. Still they saved her so it was only polite to thank them. And there was always the possibility that she would survive this night if she didn't annoy them too much.

This time the silence greeting her statement was much more uncomfortable. Probably because Marie could see in their eyes that they were trying to decide what to do with her. After all she was a witness. But she hadn't actually seen anyone doing anything. And they couldn't know that she was aware of their true nature. It didn't hurt that they weren't hungry either. She might actually have a chance if she played her cards right. And with lots of sheer dumb luck. Like always.

"So... Would you guys like to accompany me home? Because after everything that happened today I'd like to survive the rest of the way."

Felix and Demetri stared at each other and seemed to silently debate about what to do with the human girl. At least the discussion was silent to her poor, human ears.

"Since you seem to attract trouble that's probably for the best" Demetri agreed.

Marie snorted. He had no idea just how close he hit home. Not that she was about to tell him this little fact.

"This may sound like a strange question to you, but why do you want us to escort you?" Felix said after a few minutes of walking silently through the empty streets.

He was right. His question was strange. Until Marie remembered how _he _once told her that humans in general instinctively shied away from their presence. Even if they might not understand their bodies reaction. Lucky bastards. It seemed like mother nature forgot to give her this kind of survival instinct and god knows she needs it.

"Because I feel safe with you" Marie shrugged. It was true. They could obviously kill her but they hadn't done it so far and that was enough for now.

Demetri raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're one strange girl, you know that."

She wanted to laugh but there was nothing but overwhelming sadness spreading like poison through her heart. Demetri sounded so much like _him_. Her eyes burnt with unshed tears.

"I've heard that before" she whispered softly into the night. Marie didn't mean for them to hear her but with their enhanced senses they probably didn't have any difficulty understanding her.

They were silent for the rest of the walk. Marie was well aware of the fact that she was the only living being between the three of them and that they most likely still hadn't decided if they should allow her to live or not. But in this moment she didn't care. Because although she didn't know these guys (and the few things she had witnessed so far weren't very promising) she wasn't walking alone anymore.

Somehow that made all the difference.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Love it? Any complains? Suggestions?

**R&R please!**

Love Schlangenkind


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